Endless void

Mr. Ookami says :It also might be a good idea to mention that you have been hearing voices in your head and have been taking your advice. Seriously.

Eboreg says :That’s probably not a good idea. I don’t want her to get locked up in a padded room.

You’d rather not give Amberhorn any more reasons to think you’re crazy than strictly necessary. Besides, you read somewhere that everyone talks to themselves like this. This is not really cause for concern.

Eboreg says :The fact that the dream has started to interfere with your class means that most likely, you’re starting to get a really strict deadline here. Add to that the fact that it may show up again during your research means that if you take the time to interpret it yourself, it’s probably going to be too late by the time you figure it out. Remember, you’re a WIZARD! Taking care of recurring dreams is, quite literally, a matter of life and death. It may not be this time, but better to err on the side of caution.

That however is a clear sign that you should read less horror stories. The “wizard’s nightmare coming to life” plot is one of the most overused clichés in recent literature, right behind “evil dragons capturing helpless royalty” and “sparkly vampires”. And you don’t even qualify as a wizard yet. You’re a wizard student, and this is only your second year in Chimaera High – you have barely started to learn actual spells !

You catch up with Professor Amberhorn as she leaves the building. She stops when she hears you call for her.

Nyfeaena says :Ask vague questions! You don’t need to be specific about your entire dream! Just mention key parts of it and leave out the bits you don’t want to share.

This will prove tricky, since the key parts are pretty much the ones you don’t want to share, but you’ll give it a shot anyway.

You start by apologizing again to Amberhorn for falling asleep in class. This is the first time that happens, really. You’re usually a good student, you swear, and her class is very interesting.

Amberhorn answers she understands. It can happen. Just make sure to get enough sleep so it doesn’t happen again.

Well, this is kinda the problem, you say. You, um, have been tired recently because well… You’re not sure it’s related really, but… You see…

Amberhorn smiles warmly, and tells you to take your time. No need to be nervous.

You take a deep breath, and tell Amberhorn that you’ve had a recurring nightmare for a while now. It’s becoming a bit more frequent recently, and well it doesn’t wake you up at night but you’ve been feeling tired nonetheless, so it’s probably related ? And you were wondering, since she’s a Psychology teacher and all, maybe she had any advice, or knew about some books that could help ?

Amberhorn looks pensive for a second. Recurring nightmares can have a number of different causes, she says, most of them benign. Stress, for example, can cause bad dreams. To pinpoint the cause of your specific nightmare, and to be able to offer meaningful advice, she will need a bit more information about the content of your dream.

You blush and answer that it’s a bit embarrassing. You almost didn’t come and see her right now, to be honest.

Amberhorn nods and says she understands. She is pleased you decided to come to her. Bottling up unpleasant feelings is unhealthy, and just talking about them usually makes one feel better. However, as you pointed out, right here in the open may not be the best place to discuss such matters, so you are more than welcome to come and see her at her office instead. Amberhorn adds that anything you tell her will, of course, stay strictly between them.

You feel a mix of dread and hope as you ask, when will she be available ? After the break ?

Amberhorn shakes her head. She is one of the professors who stay on site during the holidays, so if you want, you can come and see her as soon as tomorrow morning. She will be happy to help you.

You answer that you will be there.

Amberhorn takes her leave after wishing you a good evening. You can’t help but have mixed feelings about the situation.

One one hand, it might be your chance to get rid of the nightmares once and for all, and you can’t wait for tomorrow.

On the other hand, it will mean getting metaphorically naked in front of the professor, and you’re glad it will happen only tomorrow… that is, if you don’t chicken out.

Hmmm. If the place is so familiar then perhaps you’ve been there before. In which case slowly feeling along the floor for walls and objects might be productive. I’m going off the lack of audio. Possibly there might be sound to help dicern your whereabouts?